Things We Do
by CreepyCoincidence
Summary: Light Yagami is assigned to tutor a student. A girl, specifically. Kohaku Fujioka only wanted to learn some Maths. Somewhere along the way, she also managed to learn things like what to do when the person you like is dating a supermodel who is pretty enough to make you want to throw yourself under a bus. [LightXOC]
1. Chapter 1

"There's a girl staring at you."

Light looked up, an amused sort of nonchalance in his eyes. "There's always," he said softly, such that none but the Shinigami could hear him, "A girl staring at me."

The sudden cackle was grating and annoying, but all through it, Light maintained the façade of looking slightly bored and unconcerned. He was an attractive boy, and possessed a certain charm that men older than him acquired only through age. Briefly, he twirled the apple in his hand, watching the spots where the light hit and the red skin looked particularly appetizing.

He took a bite. The juice dripped down his jaw.

"_Liiight_," Ryuk whined in response, his menacing smile now directed at the apple instead. "I want to eat one too."

"Shut up."

"You're no fun," Ryuk muttered, now moving behind him. Light stared, unconcerned, at the plate on the table till the death god returned to announce, "She's still looking at you."

"There's no harm in looking, Ryuk," he reminded him.

"No, as in, she's _looking_. Not...whatever it is that these girls do when they're around you."

"You said she was staring a few minutes back," Light remarked softly, unwrapping the foil around his sandwich. The sandwich was filled to the brim with vegetables. There was a slight wrinkle of disgust on his face now. "And even if she is," he continued, dropping the sandwich back on the plate with a soft snort of distaste, "How does it matter?"

"Well, if you say so," Ryuk said, sounding dissatisfied, but knowing better than to linger on the topic. "Say, you think you can buy some apples for me on the way back?"

Light rose to his feet. The loud grumble of the chair made several heads snap up to look at him, and he waved them away with a practiced sheepish look. There was one particular flash of green that caught his eye for a millisecond, but then it disappeared, so he continued weaving his way out of the cafeteria. His bag thudded lightly against the door as he passed.

On the table, nobody noticed the leftover apple.

Only a core was left of it anyway.

**{X}**

Kohaku Fujioka stared dismally at the board.

_The equation_, she cried in her mind_, I forgot the equation_! Aware of the stares being directed at her back, she raised a shaking hand to grab the chalk proffered to her by the teacher. The edge of her eye caught the door opening for a second as another late student shuffled in. And yet, Kohaku was the only one being apprehended.

_Unfair_, she grumbled.

"Well, Miss Fujioka?" The teacher asked, with one hand on his expanding waistline. "Solve the question. It's an easy one."

Mutely, she shook her head. He turned to face the rest of the class. "Anyone else wants to give it a try, then?"

Several hands shot up in the air, and Kohaku dejectedly stumbled back to her desk. Her pristine new notebook felt like an unspoken, unvoiced insult, as did the carefully pressed corners of her seat. She fell into it regardless. In the front of the class, people were discussing what the answer should be, and she opened her notebook to start writing something. _Anything_.

"Don't sweat it," A soft voice said from behind. Startled, she dropped the notebook on the desk with a loud _thud_ and turned to give the speaker a wan smile. "Hiroshi's always a bastard to women."

"Thanks," she mumbled, reaching into her bag to bring out a well-worn copy of the textbook.

Better get to it, then.

**{X}**

"As tutor?" Light asked, unable to believe his eyes. The crisp sheet in his hand stared balefully at him, offering no response. His eyes scanned the lines again. It all seemed perfectly legitimate, but in no circumstances had he imagined that he would have to take up this position so soon.

Frowning, he read the words again.

'_Name: Light Yagami_

_Work: As Tutor to student 132541'_

Below that was a hastily scribbled note in pen: _We have informed the student to meet you three in Classroom Number 10._

"That's ten minutes away," Ryuk said helpfully, peering over Light's shoulder to look at the paper. Then, because it's Ryuk and that's what he does, he burst into loud, wild laughter.

Wordlessly, Light hoisted his bag to his shoulder, not offering any comment. He traversed the well-worn corridors in silence, keeping one eye on the hall numbers and the other fixed determinedly ahead. There was a furrow on his forehead.

His eyes snapped up. "Ryuk, shut up."

The Shinigami stopped laughing.

"I need to think," Light continued, oblivious to the look of interest passing through the death-god's face. "I don't have time to tutor some witless fool." He paused, and then said softly: "I am a God. And a true God never rests."

"Are you going to kill him?"

Light paused at the entrance to Classroom Number 10. "Don't be stupid, Ryuk," he said, before passing seamlessly through the door.

At his entrance, student 132541 looked up, dropping her books in shock. The papers swirled around them in a waterfall of white and Light barely had enough time to connect that shade of green he saw in the cafeteria to her eyes before Ryuk started shouting.

"It's her!" he cackled madly, swooping into room. "The one who was staring at you! It's her!"

And then: "This is going to be so interesting!"

**{X}**

Kohaku stumbled to her knees in an effort to catch her sheets before they flew away.

One hand coaxed the stubborn strand of hair escaping from her bun back into place, while the other stretched under the desk, trying to snap up as many papers as she could. Her eye had just landed on a stray sheet that had somehow escaped her notice when the piece in question was snapped up by thin, long fingers and extended towards her.

She grabbed it. "Thanks," she muttered under her breath, hastily grasping all her notes in one desperate lunge. Convinced that she had them all in place, she stood up and dumped them on the table. "There," she exclaimed, "All done."

"I think you missed one," a low voice told her, instantly grabbing her attention.

Her eyes flickered to the male beside her, and widened when she realized it was the same person she had seen in the cafeteria. This close, he somehow managed to look even more attractive, and she blinked upon seeing that his eyes were a soft shade of brown. She had them pegged to be green.

She grabbed the sheet of paper in his hands. "Thanks," she said again, voice subdued.

"Are you student 132541?" The boy asked.

"Yeah," Having guessed why he was there at all, she dropped into her seat and gestured to the one opposite her. "I'm guessing you're my new tutor."

"Light Yagami," he replied, casually dropping his bag on the floor. His mouth crinkled into a smile, an amiable sort of one. "At your service."

"I'm Kohaku Fujioka," she informed him, thankful that her voice didn't sound too off. She drummed her fingers against her thigh nervously. He was unsettling, in a _nice_ sort of way. "I'm sorry to inconvenience you, Yagami-san."

"Please. Call me Light," the boy, no, _Light_, replied, dropping his hands on the table. Her eyes scanned the long, thin fingers that had handed her the paper. "What can I help you with, Kohaku?"

Her eyes snapped up instantly at his tone of familiarity. The expression on Light's face was one of deep interest, and yet, she somehow detected a shade of boredom and irritation buried beneath it. It's to be expected, she reminded herself, trying to ignore the low swoop in her stomach at the thought of being a burden to a busy college student. But… she hadn't quite told him to call her Kohaku.

Yet.

"Maths," she forced out, trying to keep her tone as casual as his. "We're doing vector spaces in class now, and I'm kinda lost."

"Well, luckily for you, Kohaku, I'm very good at vector spaces." A pause. Then: "When do we start?"

His voice was shaded with soft arrogance and more familiarity than she was used to. Briefly, Kohaku thought about confronting him about it, but then let it go.

"How about," she suggested, lightly biting the edges of her lower lip as she returned his heavy gaze, "Tomorrow?"

"Excellent," Light said, grabbing his bag in a single fluid movement. "Same time," he added, already exiting the room, "And same place."

"Sure," Kohaku called out, aware of the fact that he probably didn't even care about her response and was already out of hearing range. And yet, she dropped her voice before adding darkly, "Can't wait to see you again, you arrogant bastard."

**{X}**

"A bastard!" Ryuk repeated, cackling all the while. "She called you a bastard!"

"You've said that five times before," Light informed him in a cool voice, raising the pen in his hand. The soft hum of the TV called to him, and almost absently, he wrote down names of criminals in the Death Note.

It went without saying that he required absolute silence when he worked, and so, when Ryuk's grotesque mouth opened again, Light flashed him a look steely enough to make the death-god snap his mouth shut instantly.

**{X}**

**A/N: Because a good LightXOC romance is much needed.**

**I will be taking liberties with canon, obviously.**

**Be prepared to yell at me for missing few critical scenes because I forgot them.**

**Also.**

**Reviews. PLEASE.**


	2. Chapter 2

"Even physics," Kohaku lamented to her newfound friend, "Is getting harder. I used to be good at these things! I don't know what happened!"

Her friend, if such a person is even to be called that, gave her an irritated smile. The man's hand carefully rose to adjust his spectacles. "Fujioka-san, we have already given you one student –,"

"Yes, yes," Kohaku waved her new tutor away as if he was of no consequence, "Yagami Light. But receptionist-san, he only teaches me maths. I need help with physics." Her eyes raise themselves heavenward, and a few short tears started brimming. "Receptionist-san, if I don't pass these exams, they'll take my scholarship away. I just need a little help. _Please_."

The receptionist made a show of flipping papers. "Fujioka-san, if we find any offer…"

"Do you promise?"

He faltered. "I – well, I mean, we can hope –,"

"Any student at all?" Kohaku pushed, bouncing on the balls of her feet.

"Yes," the receptionist conceded, sighing. "If we have any student left who can tutor, we'll be sure to contact you."

"Thank you," Kohaku gushed gratefully, bowing. She was bowing even as she exited the door, after which she smoothened up and sighed. It was always such an ordeal dealing with this receptionist. To-Oh had a policy where each student was required to do some extra-curricular work. Hell, a lot of people must be hoping for a cushy tutoring job. She was sure that among the large number of applicants was someone who could successfully tackle her doubts.

Which, Kohaku reminded herself a little guiltily, were plenty. Even her teachers were irritated with her by the end of a lesson.

**{X}**

Light paused at the entrance, fixing the floating Shinigami with a stern look. "Behave yourself in there." Even as his hand moved towards the knob, he could hear sounds of protest from the death-god. Light ignored him. "If you do, I'll give you more apples. We don't need to give her any more reasons to dislike me."

Satisfied with the contrite look on Ryuk's face, he continued inwards.

Only to falter when he saw Kohaku standing right at the entrance, staring at him.

He recovered instantly though. "Kohaku-san, it's good to see you."

Her eyes flickered indecisively from him to the door. "Light…" She opened the door even as she talked, peering outside. "Were you talking to someone? Because I swear I heard…"

"It was just a friend," Light covered smoothly, gently grabbing her by the arm to lead her to the table. He plastered an appropriately sheepish expression on his face. "We're still in the early stages, and she's shy, Kohaku-san, so if you won't mention this to anyone…" He trailed off hopefully.

"Oh… okay," she said, slowly dropping into her seat. Her eyes locked themselves on his face next. "Why are you calling me Kohaku-san now? You had no qualms calling me Kohaku yesterday."

She was full of surprises today, wasn't she?

Casually, Light withdrew his maths book. "What would you like me to call you?" He dropped his voice to a low, intimate murmur. "I don't mind obliging."

"I –," Her face flushed instantly, and Light leaned back, amused. He had her where he wanted her now, flustered, unable to think clearly. "Kohaku," she said at last, dropping her piercing gaze. Her fingers abstractly ghosted over the table. "Kohaku will do."

"Right, then, Kohaku," he said amiably, opening the book to the relevant chapter. "Let's begin."

There was a small pause within which Kohaku did nothing but look at him with a slight tilt of her head. Like he was a specimen on her experiment table. Like she was trying to figure out something that was constantly slipping through her fingers. Like she knew what he was hiding. Light decided, after a brief perusal of her narrowed eyes, that he didn't like that look.

"Kohaku?"he ventured at last, carefully covering her hand with his own.

Her eyes snapped upwards.

"Are you okay?" he continued with what he hoped was a concerned look.

Her lashes brushed against her cheek as she looked down again, to the hand he had kept on top of hers. Slowly, as if trying to not alert him, she slipped it away and placed it on her lap. "Light, I'm sorry, but you aren't making any sense."

He frowned.

"The corridor is exceptionally long and straight – there's no way the person you were talking to could disappear so quickly." Her lips pursed, as if in thought. "Unless you're lying to me… _again_."

It was as if someone had thrown a bucket of ice-cold water on him.

Slowly, with measured movements, he pushed his chair back, never looking away from her eyes. The green in them had a touch of hazel, he noted absently, already knowing what he had to say next. It was easy to play people. He'd been doing it only half his life, after all.

"You're right," he began oh-so-amiable, shaking his head. "I shouldn't have lied. You see, I have a tendency to talk to myself sometimes. Helps boost my confidence." And then, as if it was the most natural thing to do, he shrugged. "I don't want people to know about that, so I try to keep it under wraps. You just happened to catch me at the wrong time."

"Like I caught you at the wrong time yesterday?"

His chair hit the floor on all fours. "I'm sorry – what?"

"Look, I know you're not happy to be teaching me, okay? It's just… can you please not lie about it?"

"I already told you – I honestly don't mind –,"

"Really?" And here, her voice had a touch of sarcasm in it. "Is that why you were so happy to go running from this class yesterday?"

He blinked, slowly, drawing it out as he took in her flushed cheeks and parted lips. Her green eyes glittered with irritation, fury, and a tiny glimmering of… hurt? He latched on to the last expression, pasting yet another concerned smile on his face. "I didn't run from you, Kohaku-san –,"

To his utmost surprise, her eyes narrowed at the last statement, as if she took personal offense at it. "How do you do this? How do you lie so convincingly?"

"I'm sorry, but is there something you want from me? You seem pretty adamant –,"

"My problem is that you're lying!" she exploded, throwing her hands in the air in frustration. "You're here, all pretty, pretending to be okay with it when you're clearly not! Stop lying to my face! I'm not stupid!"

"Kohaku-san, I'm sorry to have offended –,"

"No, you're not," she said coldly. "I can see through you, Yagami-san. You're not offended. You're highly irritated that I would actually have the gall to call you out on your complete and utter bullshit."

His eyes widened infinitesimally, and then they were cool, again. "Kohaku –,"

"Stop lying," she hissed.

"Very well," he said instantly, coolly, even. His hands, once pressed openly on the table, curled into fists as he gave her his best controlled expression. "I'm very angry to be wasting time having to teach you. I certainly have better things to do with my time. Does that satisfy you, Fujioka-san?"

The smile she gave him was half-hearted, and touched with an edge of determination. "_Thank you_."

Irritably, Light pinched the bridge of his nose. She was _annoying_. What was she, he wondered, to be able to see through an act that even Kiyomi Takada couldn't crack, despite proclaiming herself to be his girlfriend.

"Let's begin, then."

**{X}**

The air was scented with chocolate. The edges of the shop blurred a little as Kohaku burst in, grabbing her apron as quickly as she could and threw it over her clothes. She barely paused in her stride to nod welcomingly to the owner before slipping into the kitchen. Only then did she take a deep breath and force down her still-fluttering fingers.

Yagami Light was something she'd definitely not seen before.

The brown-haired Adonis was a _liar_, an expert one at that. He was good at faking expressions, she'd give him that, but from where she'd come from, there were a lot many men who could do that perfectly. Her nose curled at the thought of her landlord, a prime example of a cheat and a liar. She took a deep breath to calm herself before kneeling down to take the cocoa and ended up banging it loudly on the kitchen table, gaining a few curious glances.

After she had asked him to stop pretending, Yagami had taught her Vectors with barely-concealed impatience. It was expected, naturally, that after her insistence to stop lying about how he felt, he definitely saw no need to even pretend to be polite anymore.

Expected, but no less infuriating, she thought furiously, beating the batter with intensity. He made her feel like an _idiot_.

Deadpanned eyes, staring at her: _I could do this in fifth grade, Fujioka_.

Or the wry, yet mocking smile: _You don't even know this?_

"Kohaku… girl, stop," A hand rested on her shoulder, making her look up. Brown eyes stared at her concernedly. "You're going to break the mixer if you keep hitting it like that."

Sighing, Kohaku let go of her death-grip on the utensil. Her shoulders sunk. "Sorry, Mio. I'm just… frustrated today."

Mio grinned at her. "I can see that." She extended one hand to carefully pull the appliance out of the way. "How about I do the cooking today? You can serve?"

Kohaku paused, considering. After a moment, she slowly shook her head. "I'm better off here. If I go out, I'm liable to start ripping off heads if people irritate me too much."

"Yeah," Mio agreed wryly, putting the mixer back, "I can definitely see that happening. So what happened? What got your panties in such a twist?"

"Not what. Who."

"_Oh_." Mio grinned a grin worthy of a lecherous pervert. "Is it a boy?"

"Not in the way you're thinking, for sure."

"How do you know what I'm thinking…?" Mio laughed slightly, nudging her shoulder, "If you aren't thinking it too?"

"_Mio_!" Kohaku screeched, turning around with red on her face. "He's my tutor. My maths tutor! Trust me; I don't need such things in my head concerning him!"

"Is he cute?"

"What?"

"Cute?" Mio repeated, vaguely waving her hands. "You know…. Good-looking and all?"

"Yeah, he's absolutely adorable," Kohaku muttered, voice colored with sarcasm. For a brief moment, she felt the odd stirrings of guilt, Yagami Light was rather good looking. But then she pushed it away determinedly. He was also a jerk. "And absolutely annoying, is what. He treats me like I'm stupid!"

"Well, it'll be okay. He knows his shit, right? All you need to do is keep him placated till you're sure of your subject."

Kohaku stuffed the cake mix into the oven and straightened.

"Easier said than done, Mio, easier said than done."

**{X}**

"I must say, it's not like you, Light, to be rude to someone," Ryuk crunched happily on the apple, hovering at the edges of the bed. The sun had begun to set, casting a golden glow on everything. From the corner of his eye, Light could see the gleeful grin on the Shinigami's face. Clearly, the events amused him. "In fact, I've never actually seen you be rude to anyone ever. Dare I say…?" he paused, lifting the apple slightly. His voice lowered. "She managed to get under your skin?"

Calmly, Light opened the Death Note, lifting his pen. "She knew I was unhappy. I saw no reason to continue the charade."

For a few peaceful moments, the only sound was Light's pen scratching against paper. The soft hum of the computer was a constant sound in the background, noted, but ignored.

Then: "Are you going to kill her?"

A soft snort escaped his lips. "Don't be stupid."

"Why? She annoys you. You know her name and face. It'll be easy."

"Kira is Justice, Ryuk. If I go around killing every annoying student… Then let's just say the world's population would decrease by more than a half."

"Well, if you say so." The Death God, clearly not further interested, dropped the topic.

And it was true. He couldn't kill Kohaku Fujioka, no matter how much she irritated him. He couldn't decide if her stubborn act of knowing what went behind his eyes was amusing, or plain stupid. There was a reason he was Light Yagami, and by default, Kira.

He didn't do things by halves.

And seeing how the person who called himself L went to the same college as him, it wouldn't do to have a girl with a less-than-favorable impression of him running around.

She'd learn soon enough that Light Yagami was the worst sort of person to pick a fight with.

His smirk, when it unfolded, was all shades of evil and deliberate.

**{X}**

**A/N: Thank you, everyone who reviewed, followed, favorite-d. It gave me inspiration to continue. **

**Anyway. **

**Like it? Hate it? Ditch it?**

**I'm not too sure, really. SO please review and tell me how you feel about this story. I haven't written anything for ages, so.. Yes. Thanks. **


	3. Chapter 3

Kohaku threw on her last clean t-shirt and lime green shorts hurriedly, barely even pausing to glance at the mirror before she left. With the hair-tie in one hand, she grabbed her hair with the other, forcing it into a messy bun . It was getting ridiculous how late she always was. If only she hadn't stayed awake the whole night studying.

But there was no alternative available to her.

Her new tutor had assigned her homework, citing it important if she wanted to keep up with the classwork. And although she privately agreed with him, it was absolutely annoying to be running around, doing things for a boy your age.

There was a glimmer of challenge in his voice when he had spoken. He was on his feet, almost at the door, before he turned. His voice, when it came, was quiet and firm. Again, Kohaku was reminded just how good-looking he was. There was a reason half the girls in their year already had a longstanding crush on him.

Sadly, she couldn't study in the afternoon. She had a job as a waitress/cook at one of the University tea shops, and it was imperative for her to continue working there through the year. She needed the money. The scholarship she had received upon enrolling covered the living expenses as well, but there were still books to be bought. An allowance to be earned.

She was barely a month into college, and the circles beneath her eyes were growing larger each day.

Kohaku winced slightly when the door jarred her elbow as she slipped in. She had never mastered the art of looking graceful. Inside, there were a number of students milling around in groups. Her eye even caught Miss To-Oh standing there, looking pretty and important.

Frowning, she tried to slip past her, when a hand snagged her wrist.

Kohaku stilled.

A soft, cultured voice reached her ear. "Fujioka-san. A moment, please."

It wasn't much of a choice, really. The hand pulled her to a corner, and wearily, Kohaku sighed before raising her eyes to meet those of Kiyomi Takada's.

"Takada-san," she greeted, forcing her tone to be pleasant. "I'm kind of in a hurry…"

"I apologize, Fujioka-san," Kiyomi said smoothly, "But it is my duty to inform you that such clothing does not become a To-Oh girl."

Kohaku fumbled with the straps of her bag uneasily. "I'm merely here for remedial maths, Takada-san. As for my clothing..."

"Regardless, it is highly unacceptable –,"

From behind Kiyomi's head, the clock ticked on. As it touched five, Kohaku firmly yanked her hand away. "Takada-san, it's not like I don't appreciate the concern, but frankly," Her eyes flashed. "You aren't my mother."

Kiyomi let out a soft gasp, as if scandalized. "I meant no disrespect, I'm just –,"

"I'm sure you didn't," Kohaku muttered, already walking away. The air she left behind had felt cloying, suffocating, even, and she took a deep breath to steady herself before pushing through the classroom doors. "I'm he –,"

She paused, cutting herself off.

When Light didn't lift his head from the table, she cautiously moved forward, dropping her bag on the floor. A quick glance confirmed her suspicions – he was fast asleep.

Kohaku breathed in deeply, falling into the chair. It was a good thing he looked as tired as she felt. She was running five minutes late, and knowing Yagami, he would've used any excuse to berate her. She placed her head on her knuckles, regarding him lazily. How to wake him up? He didn't look like the type who would become violent upon being woken up… but it was probably best to be cautious.

Another part of her wanted to just let him sleep.

He looked peaceful. Angelic. Exhausted, even. There were circles deeper than hers under his eyes. Which were to be expected, she thought suddenly, of To-Oh's top freshman. A low wave of guilt hit her chest. She really was wasting him time, wasn't she?

Mind made up, Kohaku stood, intending to leave the classroom so he could have his rest – when for the second time that day, a hand snagged her wrist.

"Fujioka," His voice was low, throaty, "We had an agreement."

Kohaku's eyes widened. "Light, you're tired," she said, slowly turning around to look at his bent head. For a second, she had an urge to flatten the hair standing at odd angles. "You need rest. We can do this later."

"Don't back out on me now." He lifted his head, teetering on the edges of falling back asleep. Their eyes met for a brief moment, and she almost gasped in surprise. His were tinged with red, with a lack of sleep. There were lines running through the whites of his eyes, and his face looked haggard. To add to the whole image, there was an imprint of the table on his cheek.

Kohaku bit back her laugh. "Light, really, we can do this later. You look exhausted."

"I'm not –," he began, and then faced with her raised eyebrows, cut himself off. "I'm busy the rest of the week. Just… sit down, Fujioka."

Kohaku sat, albeit a little disgruntled. If he wanted to kill himself due to exhaustion, he was welcome to it. She had offered him a suitable out, after all.

"I… Where did we leave off last time?" Light murmured, flipping through pages. His head was propped up by his left hand, and he looked all manners of arrogant again. Trust him to perfect that look even while half-asleep. "Did you finish those questions I had assigned?"

"I had problems in a few."

"That's okay. We can address your doubts here. Just…" He yawned widely, covering his mouth with one hand. The other never stopped flipping pages. "Give me a second."

"Take two," Kohaku said graciously, openly smiling when he gave her a brief glare. He definitely was a little more alert if he was back to giving her dirty looks. Her fingers played with her hair as she looked at him with half-closed eyes. His eyes were closed, an expression of deep serenity on his face. After a few seconds, he opened them.

"Alright," He extended one hand. "Let's see it."

She handed him her homework, humming softly to pass the time as he flipped through it. The sunlight was several shades of golden in his brown hair. He might look exhausted and run under a bus, but he still had perfect skin. Kohaku envied him for it, remembering her own acne-filled youth. Her hand rose and rested lightly on her now-thankfully-smooth cheek.

"Take a picture, Fujioka, it'll last longer," he muttered at last, bringing her out of her reverie. It took her a moment to realize what he was talking about, and when she did, her cheeks turned pink.

"I'd rather marry a rat," she snapped, already annoyed with the sheer arrogance in his tone. Someone like Yagami Light clearly didn't expect the response, for he raised his eyebrows slightly.

"That can be arranged, you know."

"Shut up."

"Explain to me, Fujioka," He set aside her homework casually, "What it is you have against me. You were nice enough to let me sleep, and now that I'm awake, you're back to being a… –"

"A what?"

Light shrugged. "A bitch, one would say."

"You have some nerve," Kohaku said, voice trembling with the sudden anger that hit, "When all you've ever done is belittle my intelligence and call me stupid!"

There was a pause, within which both parties simply stared at one another.

Finally, Light opened his mouth. "You don't want me as your enemy, Fujioka."

Kohaku's eyes narrowed.

"I think we're already past that, aren't we?"

**{X}**

"… _the police have confirmed that the new wave of killings in the Kanto region are the work of the person named Kira. Hatsumo Jiyaya, Kazo Furoshi,…"_

Names, names, names. Light propped his face on his hand, regarding the television with half-shut eyes. It was such a precious thing, to be able to know a name. He wondered, briefly, if in the future, people would stop sharing their true names altogether.

Won't that be an interesting world?

Mistrustful, shadowy faces, swathed under the terror of their new God, their _only_ God… where Justice would prevail, and its hand will be unmerciful.

It was one of those few rare, precious moments where he took off time to observe the television. And yet, today, he was distracted. His skin seemed to be tingling from underneath, as if there was something new, challenging…

And there was, wasn't there?

Kohaku Fujioka.

He rolled the name in his head, for one maddening moment, set it under his tongue and almost expelled it. She was like an enigma, wasn't she? One girl_… full of so many surprises_. She freely gave him her smiles just as freely as she shared her scowls. To declare herself his enemy… and in the same breath, almost beg him to rest, she stunned him.

He hadn't been stunned by a girl like this before.

He pictured her in his mind, all green eyes, lowered lashes and curly hair fluttering in the breeze. She had refused his offer to walk her back, even though it had become dark and late. Refused his protection, because, she had analyzed later, she didn't want him knowing where she lived.

What perfect irony… She wanted to hide herself from her God even after giving him all she had to offer anyway?

Or maybe she was ashamed.

His fingers stopped their tapping on the bed.

What did he know about her anyway? Where did she live? Who were her parents? Did she even have any parents?

He remembered the smell of her as she stormed past, vanilla and chocolate, with a dash of strawberry. Her shampoo, he presumed.

What sort of woman smelled like chocolate?

**{X}**

Kohaku had barely managed to enter the kitchen before she was thrown out, pad and pen in hand. A soft laugh escaped her lips as she scanned the café, trying to find potential new customers whose orders had not been taken.

Her eyes landed on the back of a dark head.

Weaving her way through, she stopped, surprised to see the owner of even deeper dark circles than her or Light's. Must be a college student thing, she decided firmly, before stepping forward to flash him a bright smile.

"What can I get for you today, sir?"

His eyes met hers. His hair was an absolute mess, inky black strands falling all over his face. He looked as if he had woken up that way, and decided it was too much work to bother. A white shirt was thrown over what she suspected to be a lean chest, coupled with blue jeans. To add to the whole image, he was crouched upon the chair, thumb in his mouth.

Kohaku blinked as he scanned her just as obviously.

"I would like… a chocolate éclair, strawberry shortcake and tea." He paused then, as if considering. "And please bring a lot of sugar cubes."

"So much sugar might give you diabetes, you know," Kohaku remarked lightly, scribbling down his order. Her lower lip was buried under her teeth as she wrote.

"Sugar is an essential energy for the brain." He was staring at her, as if considering something.

Kohaku hadn't quite expected a reply. Most of the young customers there were known to be reticent and surly. You don't come to a tea shop unless you're really sleepy and could use a pick-up. Regardless, her lips parted. "You use a lot of your brain then, is it?"

His head tilted to one side. "I have to."

"That's nice. I can barely use mine properly."

"Don't worry about it." His voice was a low murmur. "I don't think you need to anyway."

It could've been an insult, but she didn't think he meant it that way. He was looking into the distance, with a lost and at the same time, focused expression on his face. He thumbed his lower lip absently, and she gathered it was a habit. What a weird guy. Still, he didn't seem like he meant any harm.

He looked slightly familiar too. Kohaku wondered where she had seen him before.

She must have been standing there for quite some time, for his dark eyes flickered towards her again.

There was nothing accusatory in his gaze, but she turned red anyway. Hurriedly, without looking back, she scurried away.

Whoever he was, he certainly had a commanding presence.

Weird.

**{X}**

**A/N: Aaaand we meet L. I hope you realize it was L. Don't worry. This definitely won't be a love triangle. *shudders* I hate love triangles. Most authors can't write them well, and I usually end up jealous of the OC because OMG SHE GOT TWO AMAZING GUYS SO UNFAIR. Anyway, no woman can be special enough to capture BOTH their attentions anyway.**

**Right.**

**So.**

**Reviews, please.**

**As for those who reviewed, I'm sorry for not replying, I'm kinda busy. But as soon as I get an opportunity. *thumbsup***

**And. Like I asked last time. Love it? Hate it? *winces* Ditch it?**


	4. Chapter 4

A young man was hunched over the computer, sipping at his tea. Across him, two police officials looked at him solemnly, awaiting orders. Their hands twisted nervously as they regarded the young genius.

At last, his lips parted. "Well then, I suppose I have no choice."

Eyes barely had time to widen before he continued. "If Light is Kira, then him meeting another student for periods of time, even if it is in the pretense of teaching her maths, is very suspicious…"

"Dammit L!" Soichiro Yagami exploded from the corner, fingers gripping his knee furiously. "He's just earning his social credits!"

"Regardless, I have to investigate." His dark eyes never raised themselves from his cup, looking, for all intents and purposes, utterly oblivious to the undercurrents of anger and confusion in the room.

"Kohaku Fujioka," he murmured softly, when everyone had left, staring at the photo on the screen. "And to think I've even met you before."

"Can it be_…_?"

**{X}**

"Yagami."

Light's eyes dropped down, at the head of unruly brown hair. She was trying to slip past him into the cafeteria and her knuckles were white against the dark maroon of the plate. The sharp angle of her chin was set, and it was somehow interesting, Light thought drily, to see her outside the four walls of classroom 10.

He lowered his gaze even more, noting the ragged jeans and the black, faded t-shirt, wondering how he had never noticed before. She couldn't be very well-off. His mind went back to their study sessions, to the old textbooks that jarred with the brand new notebooks and her small, curved handwriting.

Before he had even managed to think it through, he grabbed her wrist, effectively halting her feet.

She looked up. "What're you doing?" Her voice was cold, very cold.

"Have lunch with me." The words came tumbling out of his mouth. He could've called them a cover-up, and yet…

Her eyes widened briefly, and if he wasn't used to being Light Yagami before being Kira, he would've missed it. "What're you playing at, Yagami?"

"Nothing!" He let go of her wrist and raised his hands, as if to show he meant no harm. When her expression showed no signs of softening, he lowered his gaze to the floor, to indicate embarrassment. "I have no one else to sit with, Fujioka-san."

Kohaku exhaled softly, and then squared her shoulders, mind made up. "Alright, fine." She pushed open the door with one hand, turning back slightly to give him a pointed look. "This doesn't mean we're friends though, okay?"

Light felt his lips tug into a smile. She was always so stubborn. "Oh, we're definitely not."

He followed her through the cafeteria, weaving through tables of talkative students until she found a rather cozy spot in the corner. As she slipped into the chair, he very deliberately moved opposite her, to the chair that faced her directly. Her eyes flashed, but she offered no comment.

"So, how are you doing these days?" As soon as the words left his mouth, Light felt like wincing. Kohaku, on her part, stopped with the spoon halfway through to her mouth. They had met just yesterday.

"Perfectly fine, thank you," she muttered, having decided to humor him. Then, because she was Kohaku and from what he had noticed, inherently polite to everyone unless they lied to her, she added: "And you?"

"I'm good." Light slowly unwrapped his foil, leaving the apple untouched. Across the table, behind Kohaku's bent head, Ryuk leered at the red skin.

Uneasy silence descended over the both. The only sound was Light munching softly, and the soft _clink_ of her spoon hitting the bowl. She ate with her mouth closed, with sufficiently good manners. _And then again_, _what do I know about her anyway?_ All he knew was that she was weak at Maths, and that she probably wasn't too well-off. But if she wasn't, then how was she paying the exorbitant college fees?

His fingers drummed against the table softly. Could it be… she was a scholarship student too? But To-Oh offered a scholarship only to students who had scored very high on the test. Probably to the top ten, at maximum. He took in her appearance again. She didn't look like she'd be in the top ten.

Suddenly, she looked, a suspicious sort of expression on her face, and Light schooled his into something more amiable.

"Fujioka-san, I admit, I'm very curious about you." Having decided that offense was the best, he leaned forward, offering her his most charming smile. "Where are you from?"

"Tokyo." He could sense her stiffening at the sudden question, but he remained undeterred.

"Born here, is it?"

She eyed him carefully, as if debating whether or not the information would hurt her anyhow. Silly girl, he already had everything he needed if he ever wanted to hurt her. "No," her voice was short, clipped. "I was born in Nagasaki. We moved here when I was five."

"Is that so? Might I ask, what is it your parents do?"

"No," she said coldly, pushing her tray away. "No, you might not."

Interesting. So maybe she had something to hide at that front. Light surveyed her quietly for a few seconds before opening his mouth. "Fujioka-san appears to be a very private person."

"Damn right I am."

"I wonder… Does Fujioka-san," he paused slightly; savoring her suspicious – and even though she'd never admit it, anticipatory – expression, "_Have something to hide?"_

She did as he expected - stood up in a single fluid movement, and the chair clattered to the floor loudly. Her arms came to rest in front of her chest, crossing themselves. Defensive posture, Light thought with a grin, definitely had something to hide. Her face was flushed, her pink lips parted. "Is this… Is this an interrogation or something?"

She lowered her voice, leaning down so that they were face-to-face. "Because you suck at it."

It shouldn't have meant anything, but it did anyway. It did because everyone knew his father was Soichiro Yagami, chief detective. And this girl, this Kohaku, clearly knew this, if her comment was any indication.

Her hair fluttered slightly as she swept away from the cafeteria, and Light knew he shouldn't – and normally wouldn't – but he ended up following her. She banged the door as she moved out, chest heaving, and there was something just then in her expression. It took him a moment to place it.

She wasn't scared. Or defensive, even.

She was _furious_.

She whirled on him, raising her fists and he barely had enough time to grab her hands before she began shouting. "Who the hell do you think you are?!" Her voice was tinged with an edge of hysteria. "Do you find it funny, diagnosing me like that? Does it help you get off? Is it fun for you to make people feel like idiots?!"

He dodged the fist that was making its way to his face. "Fujioka-san, calm down!" When she refused to listen, and continued throwing well-aimed punches that screamed intent and desire to hurt him, he caught hold of her waist, pulling her along the wall. He caught her eyes widening for a moment, and noted her sense of balance deteriorating. Barely even aware of what he was doing, he positioned her such that she ended up leaning against the plaster, hands now fisted in his shirt.

"Kohaku, please," he began softly, placing his hands on the wall on either side of the head, so that he wouldn't touch and potentially antagonize her further. The only noise was the sound of their heavy breathing. "I meant no harm."

"Get off me," she ordered, still not letting go of his shirt. He dipped his gaze to her fingers, and she followed it, letting out a soft gasp. It amused him to see that despite all her fury, there was a tinge of pink on her cheeks.

She let go as if burned.

Light stepped back smoothly, straightening his shirt. He still kept one wary eye on the girl in front of him, who, he noticed with surprise, was looking at him with determination in her eyes. She opened her mouth. "Yagami-san, I've told you before," She took a step forward, straight up to him. There were scant inches between them now. "I have no interest in forming a deep and emotional friendship with you. You don't like me, and I clearly don't like you." Her voice was raspy from the shouting. "I think its best we stop all pretense of knowing one another outside the classroom."

"Who said I don't like you, Fujioka-san?"

The look she shot him wouldn't have melted ice. "Please stop lying. We've been at crosses since the first day we met. We might've simply started off the wrong foot, but…" she stopped, shaking her head as if reminding herself of something. "Look, it was never going to work between us. You treat me like an inferior, and you might treat others that way, but I won't stand for it."

Light was quick to point out: "I don't think of you as an inferior."

"Like I said," She suddenly sounded tired, weary. Her lashes were black against the grey smudge under her eyes. Light wondered how she even noticed it all. His act was perfect; he had even L fooled. "I don't like you. So please, just… move out of the way."

Light did. As she stepped past him, he caught her wrist again.

She froze.

"How do you know I'm lying?"

He didn't see her small smile, but it wouldn't have answered any questions anyway.

"Let's just say… I've had experience with liars."

**{X}**

She stumbled over the stone in her path. One hand clutching the doorknob for dear life, and the other holding her books, Kohaku looked up, noticing Kiyomi Takada's reflection on the glass screen. The other girl looked pristine, well-collected, everything Kohaku wasn't at the moment. She was wearing a maroon shirt that clung to her prettily, and her heavily lined eyes barely paused for a second to glance at Kohaku before moving away.

As she passed, Kohaku almost winced at the dullness of her grey sweatshirt and jeans. Her legs still unsteady, she opened the door and followed Miss To-Oh through the corridors, into the last classroom at the end of the hall. She began moving towards the first vacant seat her eye spotted.

"Fujioka-san!"

Kohaku turned at the sound of her name. She had already stepped foot into the class, but when her teacher noticed the receptionist rushing towards her, he waved her away.

"Receptionist-san?" Kohaku stepped out, closing the door behind her. "May I help you?"

"We have a tutor for you." She raised one eyebrow, and sensing her surprise, he held out a piece of paper before continuing. "It was filed just today. A student who had forgotten to file his form. He has very good grades in Physics."

Kohaku wordlessly took the sheet from him, scanning the paper that asked more answers than providing them. It was completely blank, with only the student number written on it.

"We have instructed him to meet you in Classroom 12 on Thursday. At three," the receptionist added, adjusting his spectacles with one hand.

"I'm sorry, but I'm meeting Yagami-san at three on Thursday," Kohaku gave him an apologetic smile. "Can it be rescheduled?"

"Well, I – of course." He nodded briefly, checking his notebook. After a moment's pause, he adjusted his spectacles again. "You both seem to be free on Saturday too. I'll instruct him to meet you at the same place at four. Is that fine?"

"Perfectly. Thank you so much, receptionist-san. I really appreciate this."

He nodded, before turning on his heel to walk away. Kohaku opened the door that led to her class. As she slipped inside, she prayed to Kami that her new tutor wasn't as rude as Yagami.

Or at least not such a big liar.

**{X}**

The air was turning slightly brittle. Shivering, Kohaku tugged the sleeves of her shirt to cover herself. It didn't quite help, but the action saved her from thinking about what had happened with Light in the cafeteria. It was testament to just how annoying Yagami was that her mind still went back to that conversation. Who did he think he was? Who the hell did he think he was? Did he really think he could just waltz into anyone's life and they'd spill their life story to him just like that?

Her hand on the doorknob, she twisted it, thankful for the heat that enveloped her as soon as she entered the tea shop. She let go of her sleeves, straightening her back with a soft _click_. Waving in greeting to one of the older waitresses, she grabbed the vacant apron, pushing herself into the kitchen.

The kitchen, by contrast, was almost suffocating. The air was tinged with the smell of chocolate, which Kohaku sniffed appreciatively.

"Kohaku, listen, do you mind taking the orders today?" Mio flew into the kitchen, closing the door behind her with a loud bang. There was panic in her eyes. "We're severely understaffed today."

"Yeah, of course." She unwrapped the apron from her waist, picked up the pen as she swept outside the room, and paused at the exit. "What's our special today?"

Mio's eyes were wide. "Shit! I knew I was forgetting something. I'll – ah – think of something. You just go."

Kohaku forced her steps to be unhurried. It wouldn't do to compromise the reputation of the shop by rushing over the table and ending up on the floor, her butt in the air. And since it had happened before…

The soft babble of voices washed over her soothingly. There was a reason she continued to work in Takayama Tea Shop – and it wasn't the employee discount. It was because Takayama happened to be the only tea shop near To-Oh that was spaced in such a way that every customer got their privacy. The interiors were designed by an absolute genius, giving privacy and at the same time, not taking up too much space. By default, she could guess if a table wanted to be left alone by their voices itself. If they were too low – speaking of which, the table she was approaching had two boys speaking in hushed tones. One of them had familiar brown hair, and the other was crouched on –

Ah, damn.

So he had managed to follow her here. And seemed to be sitting with that weirdo guy from yesterday. Scowling at the back of Yagami's head, she turned around swiftly before he could notice her, and shuffled back into the kitchen.

"Mio," she began with an oh-so-sweet smile, "Why don't I make the special today?"

Her friend looked up, face set in concentration. She seemed to be kneading something in the bowl. "What? I thought I sent you to take orders!"

"You did, but…" Kohaku's face became sheepish. "There's someone from college there, and I really don't want to run into him."

Being the friend Mio was, she didn't say a word, and instead, let go of the bowl and wiped her hands on the towel before snatching the pen from Kohaku's fingers. And being the friend Mio was, she also gave Kohaku a leering grin. "So what's his story?"

"Nothing. He's that tutor I was telling you about." Kohaku's voice had a frown in it.

Mio obviously didn't take the hint. "You can't just expect me to abandon the chocolate meringue for that. Come on, give me more information. Something must have happened."

How could she explain what had happened when Kohaku herself didn't know? All she knew was that he rubbed off her the wrong way. And she knew that if she quoted herself, verbatim, Mio would have a field day teasing her. So instead, she said: "He caught me writing the wrong formula five times today. I'm extremely embarrassed."

Mio snorted. "You're a shit liar, Fujioka." Then she elbowed past her friend and winked. "If he is cute, I'm getting his name… and _number_."

"Good luck with that," Kohaku murmured under her breath, moving to the vacant table. Barely ten minutes passed, before Mio came rushing in, eyes spitting fury. "I gather that didn't go very well."

"Your friend is an absolute jerk!" she screeched, throwing off her apron. "He said, and I quote: While your intentions seem honorable, I request you to stop making love eyes at my partner and please get me more sugar cubes."

Kohaku made to nod comfortingly, before freezing. Wait, what?

Sugar cubes?

Mio sensed the confusion in her eyes. "His name is Ryuzaki, isn't it? What a complete -"

So maybe the other guy's name was Ryuzaki. It somehow fitted his crouching persona. "At least you got a name," Kohaku pulled out some more cocoa from the shelf, seeing no need to correct her friend. It would be easier to insult Light if Mio didn't like him either, even if she did think he was the other guy. "A number can't be too far-off."

"That's the problem! He didn't give me his name."

"Then how..?"

"I eavesdropped, silly." Marginally calmer, Mio withdrew the cake simmering in the oven, experimentally poking it with a fork. "I couldn't hear much; because they were speaking in low voices, but at one point, the dude said something along the lines of …_call me Ryuzaki_."

Then because Kohaku was focused on her work, she gave a small shrug. "You're unlucky, though. What I wouldn't give for the other guy to teach me some maths. He's _hot_."

Yes, and that was just the problem, wasn't it? Maybe the fact that he was hot made Yagami Light expect answers to every question in the world. Maybe that was what made him consider his colleagues as inferiors. Maybe that was why he hid behind a fake smile.

Or maybe, Kohaku thought drily, she was looking too much into it, and the burning smell that surrounded her seemed to agree.

As Mio pulled out the slightly burnt meringue, Kohaku buried her face in her hands.

The world must really, really dislike her.

**{X}**

**A/N: And here, my lovely people, is where the background is laid. A few pointers/changes from canon: **

**1. The scene in the tea-shop is the one after their tennis match, when the two are seconds away from getting a phone call regarding Light's father.**

**2. L's exact lines added are: Your father and the other member's _call me Ryuzaki (_The last 3 words are what Mio picks up.)**

**3. For reference to story, Light is already dating Kiyomi Takada in order to continue pretending to be 'just' another teenager. **

**4. Kohaku doesn't have some really angst-y past, so y'all can chill. I hate girls with angst-y pasts that define them forever. She's just private and Light isn't quite known for his social skills. **

**And lastly, OMG PEOPLE WHO REVIEWED. Because of you, I finished this and am halfway through the next chapter. *makes heart signs* Love,love, , I'm not sure if you expect replies. Do you? Because I don't mind. Do let me know.**

**Aaaand lastly, as always: Like it? Hate it? Ditch it?**


	5. Chapter 5

If there was a reason she was here, then Kohaku had forgotten it.

Her scuffed trainers squeaked against the linoleum floor, making patients and nurses alike glance at her curiously before focusing on the figure next to her. It made sense, she tried to rationalize, that they would be fascinated by the smart-looking young woman who walked alongside her, but it hurt nonetheless. Kiyomi Takada already looked like a professional reporter – and what did Kohaku look like? A street rat, that's what.

_Stop being depressing. _Green wasn't a color that suited Kohaku anyway, and that was just fine. She wouldn't quite say she was envious – or even jealous of Kiyomi – it bordered more on the fact that she was different, and Kohaku could respect that. Even if they never did manage to get along. Even if Kiyomi never stopped looking down at her.

Stop it; she chided herself lightly, following Kiyomi down the hall. Hospital corridors always had a strange sort of beauty in them. Outside, the sun had just begun to set, and it enveloped everything in a golden glow, bringing out shades and lights and colors that caught the eye. She watched Kiyomi's hand stretch out slowly, daintily, and her voice reached as if it was coming from far away, "Behave yourself in there, please."

Kohaku flashed her sweetest smile. "Of course."

Then they were inside, and she spied brown hair of different shades and a girl's laughter and a mother's cry of welcome – and Light. He stood at the end, straight-backed, sure, confident. There wasn't a single strand out of place in his hair. She registered faint surprise on his face as he graciously accepted the flowers from Kiyomi, and when his eyes rested on her, she smiled warily, slowly. "I heard about your father. I hope he's alright."

It struck her, when he alternated looking between her and Kiyomi, that Takada hadn't told him the relation between them. Which suited her just fine, to be honest.

"Oh, you must be Light's girlfriend!" Mrs. Yagami caught hold of Kiyomi's hand and smiled at her. Her face was soft, rounded. "He's told me all about you!"

"Doubt it," Kohaku found herself muttering – and she didn't know _why_. "He's very annoying like that."

When they all turned to face her in surprise, even the sick father, she caught the edges of a smirk on Light's face. What a bastard. "I mean," she amended quickly; "They've just started dating. I'm sure they're both figuring each other out, ne?"

"O-oh, yes, I'm sure," Mrs. Yagami said faintly, and there was a low smattering of awkward chuckles. "And you are….?"

"Kohaku Fujioka." She stepped forward to bow slightly. "Pleased to make your acquaintance."

"Hey Kohaku! I'm Sayu, Light's younger sister. Say…" There was mischievousness in the younger girl's voice, and when she sidled up to her, Kohaku found herself grinning. "How do you know Light, anyway? Are you his second girlfriend or something?"

"Sayu!" Mrs. Yagami admonished before anyone could say anything, and the girl quickly bobbed her head in apology. Her curious eyes never lifted from Kohaku's face though.

"Me and Light?" Even the thought was too incomprehensible, and Kohaku blinked. "No way! He's just my tutor."

"Then you must like him! That's why you're here, aren't you? Even the girls in school used to come over all the time with stupid excuses –,"

There were a myriad of morbid things pertaining to her father that Kohaku could have used to stop the younger girl. The thought never even crossed her mind. However, it did cross Light's. "Father having a heart attack isn't a stupid excuse, Sayu," he said, in his perfect spoilsport voice. "Please stop annoying Fu – Kohaku."

Subdued, Sayu lowered her eyes. There was a flash of shame in them. Kohaku flexed her fingers. "It's a legitimate doubt, though," she said airily, giving the younger girl a smile. "Light has a lot of admirers in college too."

"Oh, I do, do I?" Light crossed the distance between them in two strides. He stopped next to Kiyomi, but when he spoke; his words were directed to her. "Sorry, but I'm taken. If _they_ want, they can get in line."

How dare he?

In that split-second, Kohaku saw red, and she somehow managed to force down her hands before they ended up on Yagami's neck. Strangling him. Wanting to yank out his too-perfect hair. Once again, a smirk played along the corners of his mouth, as if he was aware of the effect of his words. Knowing him, he had probably planned it. The whole conversation. The scenario.

It wouldn't surprise her to know they were all actors in his play.

"Yes," Kohaku said instead, in an arsenic-sweet voice. "We're all aware, Light."

"Good. Because," and here, he trained another one of his fake-smiles at Kiyomi, "Kiyomi Takada is the one for me."

Amidst squeals caused by Sayu, and the slow laughter of Light's mother, Kohaku wandered to the edge of the room, to examine the man on the bed. He looked tired, haggard, weighed down. She was suddenly reminded of why exactly she had come, and it wasn't to humor Light Yagami.

He smiled at her kindly when he saw her approaching.

"Get well soon, Yagami-san," she murmured softly, arranging the flowers on the vase next to his bed. He looked confused, which was why she added quickly: "Your son has been teaching me maths, so I couldn't not come." A vague, embarrassed smile played upon her face. "Especially not after I managed to score well on a class test."

"Ah, Light has always been intelligent," Mr. Yagami acknowledged weakly, and he shuffled slightly on the bed. "It's good he has a friend like you."

But he doesn't, Kohaku wanted to scream. He's not my friend, this is all just a farce, and I'm only here because I felt bad. The words weighed heavily on her tongue, but she swallowed them anyway. "I'm lucky to have a friend like him."

She stepped back from the bed, when Mr. Yagami's attention was captured by Kiyomi. The prickling feeling at the back of her neck made her turn around – only to meet Light's eyes. His expression said he had heard everything.

The slow flush that covered her face had nothing to do with the fact that his face, for the first time ever, was soft, unguarded even. It didn't. Really. His forehead was partially in shadow, which only brought out the brown in his eyes. For the second time ever since she had met him, she was aware that Light Yagami was very… male. His shirt, unbuttoned, carelessly thrown on, clung to his lean torso, and he looked like a handsome mess. And Kohaku realized – with a certain sort of breathlessness that comes with such realizations – that he was walking towards her.

His lips parted, and then whatever he was about to say – nice words, cruel words, words that built her up or brought her staggering to her knees – were swept away when Kiyomi placed one hand on his arm, and he broke eye-contact to look at her. Kohaku dropped her gaze to the floor.

It stunned her to know that she wanted to hear what he would have said.

With that thought came the panic – mind-numbing panic that made her fingers flutter and forced her to exit the room, apologizing softly. She didn't even know what excuse she used, all she knew was that she needed to get out – out –

The air outside felt marvelously free now that she wasn't breathing the same as he was. Wrapping her arms around herself, Kohaku stumbled into the bench, wondering what the hell had just happened. How did she end up like this? When did she start visiting injured parents with flowers? What –

"Kohaku!"

It was _his_ voice. Kohaku felt like burrowing her head in her knees. Of course it was.

"Hey, listen –,"

"Go back inside, Yagami," she muttered into her fingers, refusing to look at him. Which is why, when warm hands slowly peeled them away, she let them, surprised. His face swam into view.

"I just wanted to say thanks for coming."

"You don't need to," she said immediately. "Your father had a heart-attack, Light, obviously –,"

"I've been meaning to ask you about that. How did you know?" He was, as expected, as nosy and inquisitive as ever. Nothing really kept him down for long, did it?

"Kiyomi told me."

Light's nose wrinkled slightly as he pondered over the statement. "Why would she tell you?"

It amused her that there were no 'Forgive me but why', or 'I mean no offense but why', attached to that statement. Either he was adapting to her, or he was trying to get on her better side. Both were equally plausible. Kohaku caught her bottom lip between her teeth and began chewing on it. "We live together."

"What? Are you two related?"

How was this always the first question? "No," she enunciated clearly, coolly, "I'm a house-guest. I pay her parents money, and they allow me to live with them."

"So, your parents are –,"

"And here," she cut him off with a raised hand, "Is where you stop asking me personal questions."

"And what if I keep asking?" Light's grin was lopsided, and somehow, more real than all the smiles she had seen on his face. It suited him, she thought, the laidback shoulders, the grin, the amusement in his eyes.

"I simply won't reply."

"Pity." He sighed theatrically, wiping his forehead with his hand. "To think the Ice Queen was finally opening up a little."

Her eyes widened, in equal parts of surprise and laughter. "I'm not an icy person!"

"Yes, you are," The grin was still on his lips.

"I'm not!" She laughed, shoving at him impulsively, and he caught hold of her hands, making them both stumble back slightly. Her head ended up against his chest somehow, and their intertwined hands were between them –

And that's how Kiyomi Takada found them, when she stepped outside the door.

"I'm sorry." she said softly, demurely. The horror in Kohaku's chest clawed up its way to her throat and burned through her stomach. She jerked her hands away from Light, who stood shock-still, as if unable to comprehend what had happened. "I had no idea," Miss To-Oh continued.

Kohaku forced the words out of her choking throat. "It's not like that!"

Kiyomi's face was a picture of calm, of control. "I'm not blaming you, Kohaku. It isn't your fault." She paused, as if mulling over her words. "In the past few days, I have noticed that Light-san hasn't been as focused on me as he should be. At first, I attributed it to nerves, but," Her eyes flickered. "I seem to have now found the reason."

"Kiyomi –,"

"No, she's right," Light muttered. He tilted his head to one side, as though considering the best way to phrase his sentence. "You're a very beautiful girl, Kiyomi. I'm afraid… you're just not the girl for me."

"I understand perfectly," Kiyomi nodded, neck stiff and Kohaku watched mutely as she swept past the two of them, never looking back even once. Her expression gave nothing away, but Kohaku still managed to see that her grip on her skirt was hard, tight.

"Kohaku –,"

"Get the hell away from me." Her voice was controlled, too controlled. She crossed her arms around herself and turned away from him.

He tried again. "Whatever just happened –,"

"Whatever just happened," Her voice was back to its usual aloofness, coldness. "Showed that you're a sick, vile person who'd go to any lengths to use someone."

"I –,"

"There's nothing you could ever say to me to make up for this!" Kohaku snapped, readying herself to walk away. She purposely jammed her shoulder against his side as she did, and the action seemed to hurt only her. He barely even reacted.

When he did, it was to grab her wrist.

It was becoming a pattern between them, wasn't it? Her storming away, and him holding her back. Why? Why the hell did he do this?

She stilled, turned, and parted her lips, ready to give him a piece of her mind, when she realized she was talking to empty air.

And that he was on his knees in front of her, still holding her limp hand.

Her eyebrows rose and almost disappeared into her hairline. "Forgive me for offending you, Kohaku-san. It was not my intention, I assure you." He held her gaze calmly. "I had no idea that the events would turn out like this, and… I promise, I wasn't planning on using you to break up with her. It was just a long-time in coming, and this seemed to be as good as opportunity as any."

She hated the fact that her voice shook as she spoke. It could've been attributed to a number of things – the fact that the air conditioner was on at full blast, the fact that she was angry, or even the fact that she was shocked – but she knew, as did he, that it was because he was on his knees, in front of her. The Great Light Yagami.

How had it come to this?

When had he become more than just another tutor? If she could've guessed, it was when she saw him tonight, open, unguarded. Or, maybe when he had stopped her from hitting him, and then taken care that she wouldn't fall. Or maybe it was now. Him on his knees. Her standing.

"Stop this." Her voice was low, a whisper. "Stop doing this and get the hell up, Yagami. People are staring!"

"Say you forgive me."

She paused, blinked, and half of her wanted to see just what he'd do if she walked away – but how can you be rude to a person who went to such lengths? The stares of doctors, nurses, patients and visitors glossed over them as they walked past.

"I –," He was cruel, she realized, cruel and manipulative and selfish. "I forgive you."

He still didn't stand up. "At least pretend like you mean it."

"Pretending is your job," she snapped back, curling her fingers inwards. And as if her words had broken a spell, he straightened, gracefully and smoothly. A far cry from her reaction. She stumbled back at the loss of contact when he dropped her hand, and was grateful when he made no move to help her. Almost as if he knew that she was muddled, as if he knew that if he touched her again, she'd do something.

She needed air. Again.

And this time, when she sped past him, he made no move to stop her.

It irked her to know that she already expected him to.

**{X}**

Light watched Kohaku walk away from him. She was curling into herself, hunching her shoulders and rubbing her wrist furiously, as if trying to remove the traces of him from it. He wanted to tell her that she wouldn't get rid of him so easily. Not of her God.

"Once again Light, I'm impressed," Ryuk floated ahead, tracing his footsteps out of the hospital. "You got her real good."

Did he? Light liked to think he did. He remembered her green eyes widening, the soft red rising in her cheeks. Her lashes were dark against the paleness of her cheeks, and from where he had grabbed her wrist; he could feel that her pulse was haywire.

Maybe he did, after all.

But that wasn't the question.

The question was, how much of that was Kira… and how much of it was Light Yagami?

**{X}**

"Kiyomi.." She knocked softly on the closed door, trying to make as little noise as possible. It was a well-known fact in the house that she and Miss To-Oh did not get along. Her trying to get into the room would only create suspicion and doubt. "Kiyomi, please. Open up."

Kohaku hadn't expected the door to open – but it did.

Her eyes were rimmed red, and there was a distinct smell of wetness and tears and damp clinging to Kiyomi Takada like second skin. When she spoke, her voice was calm. "What do you want?"

Kohaku didn't know what possessed her, but if she had to guess, it was probably Kiyomi's attempt at sounding strong that made her lean forward and pull the other girl into a hug. "I'm so, so sorry, Kiyomi. I didn't know that would happen –,"

She disentangled herself smoothly, the action suggesting that she had done the same before. Before Kohaku's face could turn red at the dismissal, or even before she could say anything, Kiyomi opened her mouth. "Would you like to come in?"

"I'd love to." Kohaku's smile was genuine. She had never entered the room before, for there was never any need to. It wasn't messy or cluttered, like Kohaku's often was. Instead, the books were swept to one side, and the center of the room was occupied by a magnificent blue bed. There were twinkling fairy lights hanging from the ceiling. It was… a girl's room.

"You can sit on the bed, if you want."

Kohaku did. The mattress was as soft as it looked.

"I want you to know, Kohaku… that I meant every word I said in front of Light. I honestly don't think it was your fault." Kiyomi started pacing across the room. "He was truly never interested in me. And I just kept pretending it was all okay until…"

"Until?" Her voice was cautious.

"Until today, obviously. Have you noticed, he looks at you differently?" At Kohaku's blink of confusion, Kiyomi sat down on her chair, drawing her knees together. "He waits for your reaction. Like…"

"Like he's conducting a play and I'm the only one not speaking her lines right?"

Miss To-Oh snapped her head up. "Yes, so you have noticed."

"I –," The silence is full of implications, implications that Kohaku doesn't want unraveled. She propped herself on her knuckles, staring at the floor. "I just antagonize him. A lot." Her voice is small. And then, because she's talking to Kiyomi, Light's ex girlfriend, she adds, a tad desperately. "We aren't even friends!"

"And isn't that," Kiyomi sounded weary, "Just how it always starts?"

"No." The denial is strong in her tone. "Nothing has started. Nothing will ever start."

"_Kohaku."_

"Don't look at me like that!"

Kiyomi only tilted her head further in response. "He's a very attractive guy."

"He's a very manipulative guy." Kohaku shot back.

"That he is." The quiet acceptance left her reeling, and for a moment, Kohaku is suspended in time. She imagines them together, Kiyomi Takada and Light Yagami, and realizes, with no small amount of shock, that they're _supposed_ to be together. The Top Freshman and Miss To-Oh. Kiyomi and Light. Takada and Yagami.

Where had it all gone wrong?

"_Good. Because Kiyomi Takada is the one for me."_

Where the hell had that gone?

She thought of him, on his knees, in front of her. In the harsh white light, his hair was red, not brown. His shirt clung to him in the same way it did while he was standing, the whites stark against his smooth skin. His hand wrapped around her wrist, warm, huge, comforting. And wondered, why had she let him get away with it all, again?

"Don't worry about it," Kiyomi said again, when the silence had stretched between them for too long. "Like I said, it isn't your fault."

"In fact, if blame is to be placed, it's mine." Kiyomi walked to the window, peering outside it in her lace nightgown. The moonlight illuminated her dark hair in pale strands, unfurling softly in the breeze.

"I shouldn't have taken you with me, should I?"

And the words are whispered, and once again, Kohaku is wretchedly guilty again

**{X}**

There was a text message waiting on her phone when she reached her room. She almost didn't open it. Didn't want to. Didn't feel like. The reasons were many. The action was one. She flipped open the cover.

_I'm sorry_, Light wrote, _but we'll have to suspend our lessons for some time. I'll call you when I'm next free. _

Had she expected this? She'd be lying if she refused. In one night, they had taken leaps and bounds beyond all their interactions previously. Was it any surprise that he wanted to take a step back and rethink his strategy?

Its fine, Kohaku tried to convince herself, falling on the bed. His father was ill, and he probably had other things to do with his time.

And yet, it was the sting of rejection that pierced her heart.

Kohaku had always thought she was a level-headed person. Which was why she couldn't let this storm in her couldn't go unanswered.

Did she like him?

No.

Could she like him?

That was the answer she couldn't give.

He was an enigma, a master manipulator, a genius, a liar even. And sometimes, through that, she saw Light Yagami, just him. When he was sleeping. When he had grabbed her hands to stop her from hitting him. When he had overheard the conversation with his dad.

He was deadly, she realized, to her. Deadly because if he found her unpredictable, then she found him doubly so. She couldn't figure him out. He wasn't always a cold-hearted bastard, just like he wasn't always a nice guy. Somewhere in between, a line was defined, and that was where Light Yagami walked. Could she find that line?

Did she want to?

Or, she thought, would he let her?

That was the question of the century, wasn't it?

**{X}**

**A/N: OMG. A lot happened here. *wipes forehead tiredly***

**Once again, I'd like to thank a few people who reviewed the last chapter: Rileyyheartt, whisperingmist, the guest reviewer.  
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**As for those who reviewed before, thanks a bunch guys. Things are going to get a lot faster and more insane from here. Next chapter - already half written. I'm hooked to this. **

**Reviews incite faster updates.**


	6. Chapter 6

The wind whipped her hair into her face and Kohaku scowled for what appeared to be the umpteenth time, using both hands to push it aside. The culprit, the window, sat innocently across the room. Distracted by her hair, and beyond annoyed with everyone's ability to ignore it, she stood up fluidly, almost hoping someone would challenge her into not fiddling with it. She was in that mood, the one where everything feels like a personal insult and everyone seems out to get you.

She got her wish.

"Kohaku."

She parted her lips, almost salivating at the prospect of launching into a vitriolic speech on the harmful effects of an open window – when she realized that the person had addressed her by her first name. And that they had dropped the suffix. Clearly, it was someone she knew well.

Kohaku turned around and Kiyomi Takada's serene face greeted her.

"Hi Kiyomi," she said, having gotten over her brief shock. Not wanting to remain standing where all eyes were on her, Kohaku took a seat. "What can I do for you?"

There was an uneasy truce between the two girls since that day. If Kohaku had expected Kiyomi to continue to ignore her, she was in for a surprise when the other girl approached her during classes to talk. Their conversations, awkward and stilted, but they were something. They never talked about Light though – and for that, Kohaku was grateful. That one night discussing Yagami had done nothing for her mental health.

However, today, there was something in Kiyomi's face that said that would all be changing now.

"Has he contacted you since that day?" As usual, Kiyomi had gone straight to topic.

"Light?" Kohaku's voice was troubled.

"Naturally."

"He texted me that night. Said he couldn't make it to the next class. But," here, she paused, casting a critical eye over the past month or so. "He never called me again and I haven't seen him around college."

There was a small glimmer of something in Kiyomi's eyes. Relief, Kohaku realized with surprise, and a healthy amount of vindictiveness. Her hands were crossed over her lap, her face never betrayed anything at all, but Kohaku was sure she'd seen it. Unconsciously, she flexed her fingers.

"I saw him exactly a month back."

"That's nice for you."

"You sound troubled," the other girl said softly, her lashes resting against her cheek.

"I –," Her throat choked off, and Kohaku was aware she could've just let it go, let the relations between her and Miss To-Oh remain neutral. She felt like she was standing at the edges of a cliff, and the decision for her never was going backwards. For her, it was always about confrontation. She wasn't the kind to hide behind half-lies and partial truths. She supposed that was why she and Light were at crossroads from the beginning.

"You hate me," she said slowly, the realization hitting her a punch to the stomach. "You hate me so much, Kiyomi."

There was nothing on Kiyomi's face. Nothing but the same, peaceful calm. "Don't exaggerate, Kohaku."

"You've been waiting," Kohaku rationalized, insisted, eyes widening. "Waiting to see if Light would get together with me. That's why you pretended to be fine."

"I don't know what –,"

"And… now that he hasn't, you're happy!" She continued, aware that her voice was rising with each word and making no effort to control it. "You tried to push me towards him on purpose!"

"I_… but why_? What have I ever –,"

"Don't," and Kiyomi's voice was a sibilant hiss, a hiss of spite, of malice, "Pretend that you did nothing."

It felt like unraveling, and fusing together at the same time. The soft burn of betrayal, of hurt, of anger burned through her chest, almost making her miss Kiyomi's next words.

"No boy has ever dumped me before. And if I couldn't get him, what makes you think you could?"Somehow, despite the words, Kiyomi's voice was still soft. Controlled. Smooth. "You, with your raggedy clothes and your messy hair and your lack of brains. What made you even think he would ever go for someone like you?"

Kohaku found a name for it. It felt like _suffocation_.

"You aren't just playing beyond your standards. You're trying to cross into a whole new league. Do you realize now," Kiyomi leaned forward, locking eyes with her. "How outmatched you are?"

"You're crazy," Kohaku said, having finally located her voice amidst the shock and the hurt. Her eyes were very, very wide. "If you're trying to warn me off Light, then allow me to tell you one thing. One thing that you seem to have forgotten." Her eyes flashed. "I don't listen to you. Not now. Not ever."

"You're talking… like he even wants you."

The sharp intake of air was Kohaku's mistake.

"That hurt, didn't it? Imagine how I felt, when I walked outside the room to see him with you." Kiyomi brushed imaginary lint from her blouse. "I couldn't decide if I was disgusted by how his standards had fallen, or at how you were throwing yourself on him."

"I wasn't –,"

It was funny, that despite what was happening, Kohaku was still trying to appease the other girl. Was she stupid? Probably.

"You're nothing but a cheap slut, Kohaku."

And those were the words that broke the proverbial straw. Kohaku stood up, ignoring the harsh whine of the chair and picked up her bag. Kiyomi's face was one of amusement, of disdain, and so, she schooled hers into one of disinterest, before leaning forward and smiling. It was a smile full of promise. "Maybe he is beyond my league," she acknowledged slowly, allowing her hands to rest on the table. "Maybe he doesn't like me. But that won't change the fact, _Takada_, that he doesn't like you either."

She committed Miss To-Oh's look of absolute shock to her mind, before adding softly: "At heart, you're nothing but a scared little girl, afraid of rejection, aren't you Kiyomi? Do you think Light saw that?"

"Or maybe he saw your absolute bitchiness. Maybe that's why he broke up with you. I wouldn't know. But… I do know one thing." Her voice was cold, very cold. "Stay the hell away from me."

"Or you'll regret it."

Kohaku stormed out of the study room.

**{X}**

"Watari."

A soft _plop_ followed. The old man paused at the entrance, various files pertaining to the Kira case in his hands. His young charge never raised his eyes from the screen where Light Yagami lay, incarcerated, waiting to be let out. "Yes, Ryuzaki?"

The sugar cubes barely had time to dissolve in the hot tea before L added several more. "That girl Aizawa has been following. Kohaku Fujioka. I want to question her."

"I thought you said you found an in with her already?"

L waved it away. "As her tutor, yes. But it's been a month since I last went to To-Oh and I don't have time to leave this room. She'll have to be brought here."

Watari shuffled the files in his hands, picking out the one where a photo of a young girl smiled at him. She had green eyes and unruly, wavy brown hair. Her posture indicated casualness. "She usually works at –,"

"Takayama Tea Shop," L supplied, setting down the cup. "Usually from five to eight. It will be better if you catch her after she leaves it though."

"Any reason why?"

The strawberry rolled in his hands. "I thought it was obvious. If she doesn't turn up for work, questions will be raised."

"Ah, yes, of course." As he walked through the door, Watari paused again to look at the young genius. He was now munching cheerfully, or at least as cheerful as L can ever be, on his strawberry. "What do we tell her?"

"Tell her… That L has some questions regarding the Kira case."

When Watari's eyes narrowed, he looked up, giving the older man a disarming smile. "I have noticed that they tend to cooperate more when I give them that name, as opposed to, say, the police force."

"She's young. Merely taking the name of the police should suffice."

"There is 5% chance of increased cooperation."

Watari didn't bother asking how L had come to that conclusion. "Very well. Where do you want me to bring her?"

"Put her in the room adjacent to mine."

"Blindfolded?"

L gave him a deadpan look.

"Everything necessary in the name of Justice."

**{X}**

Kohaku stepped outside Takayama, ruffling her hair slightly as she walked. Night had fallen upon Tokyo, and with it, it brought the customary chill she had begun associating with the nights. The wind was as strong as ever, and she paused in her steps to fasten her jacket more tightly.

It seemed to make no difference to the goosebumps rising on her arms.

It seemed like a night of activity. The lights sparkled in the town, and she could vaguely hear the sound of the door slamming shut. The air she breathed in deeply felt like anticipation and waiting. Odd.

A hand touched her back.

Kohaku spun around, gasping. The eyes of a young man met hers. He couldn't be older than 30, but he carried himself with a lot of poise and confidence. Wordlessly, he raised his badge.

Her eyes widened.

Tokyo Police Force?

"We'd like you to come with us, ma'am." His voice was gravelly, deep.

Kohaku stumbled backwards, until her back hit the wall soundlessly. "I think… you have the wrong person, officer-san."

"Kohaku Fujioka," the man recited, as if reading from a file. "First year student at To-Oh University. Works at Takayama Tea Shop after classes. Lives with Takada –,"

"That's me." Kohaku breathed, raising her eyebrow. "But, why? I haven't done anything –,"

"We need to question you regarding the Kira case."

Her heart felt like it was trying to escape from her chest. Wordlessly, the man gestured towards the sleek black car waiting for them across the road. His eyes were alert, scanning her if she had the intention to run.

The thought didn't even cross Kohaku's mind.

She staggered forward, allowing the officer to bring up the rear. He opened the door for her, and when she sat inside, she realized she had been tricked.

A hand closed over her mouth before she even had time to react, and the cloying smell of chloroform hit her nose.

She was out before she could even feel scared.

**{X} **

She began stirring.

Silently, L gestured to the rest of the police force, signaling them to keep quiet.

Her first impression: To struggle wildly in her chair before beginning to scream.

L thumbed his lower lip. In this regard, she was no different from the hundreds of people he had brought in for questioning. Like her, they all first noticed the ropes tying them to the chair, and then the blindfold over their eyes. And much like her, they all first screamed.

He tapped the mike lightly. At the sound, she froze.

Her voice, when it came, was meek and subdued. "Please… I'm not worth anything. Let me go! I'll… give you everything I have! Just, _please_!"

So she thought she had been kidnapped. It wasn't such a far-fetched idea. As such, they had no warrant to bring her in for questioning. But all it would take was a phone call to the Superintendent, and a warrant would be out without a moment's delay. She groveled for a few more minutes, and when no response was forthcoming, squirmed uncomfortably in her chair. She was lucky; he thought drily, that he hadn't put her in the same restraints as Misa. She should be grateful.

Kohaku Fujioka.

How was this girl connected to everything?

"Fujioka-san," his scrambled voice reached her perfectly, "Please, calm yourself."

She froze instantly.

"I am _L_. I only want to ask you a few questions, and then we'll let you go."

He had a feeling that he would see her green eyes widening if the blindfold wasn't on. As such, her lips parted, and there was now a furrow on her forehead. "L? As in, the world's greatest detective L? The guy who's working on the Kira case?"

"The very same, Fujioka-san," he confirmed, leaning forward into his chair.

"But I – what can you possibly want with _me_?"

"For starters, why don't you tell us about your relationship with Light Yagami?"

Her jaw dropped. He watched, with no small amount of interest, the play of emotions on her face. Surprise. Shock. Confusion. Even some anger. "You think… Light is Kira?!"

He neither acknowledged nor denied it. It wouldn't do to have her spouting off theories after she had left, after all. "Answer the question, Fujioka-san."

"You've got to be kidding," she muttered instead. "You think To-Oh's top freshman masquerades as a self-righteous killer at night? What absolute bullshit."

"Kindly answer the question, Fujioka-san," he repeated.

The furrow in her forehead deepened. "Light's my maths tutor. That's all."

"And do you make it a habit to visit your tutor's father after he has a heart attack?"

Her head jerked. So she hadn't expected him to know that. There were quite a few things he knew about her. Maybe it was time to let her know just how serious he was. L settled back into his crouch, absently curling his toes. "We know that very same day; Light Yagami broke up with his girlfriend. Your housemate, Kiyomi Takada."

"And how it that relevant?" She snapped. There was fury in her voice. Fury, and, he thought, some embarrassment too.

"Everything is relevant when people are dying, Fujioka-san."

Her shoulders slumped. "You're right. He did. Light and me… well, I didn't like him from the beginning –,"

"Why?"

"Why?" She sounded surprised by the question. "Well, he's a liar. The first day we met, he was an arrogant jerk. The second day, he pulled my strings around, like I was someone of inferior intelligence he could simply control. He constantly undermines me. He's rude and um…manipulative…"

In the dim lighting, L saw Soichiro Yagami's face turn red with indignation and rage. He took a step forward, and L raised his hand. It wasn't quite a threatening gesture, but it put the point across.

"You do realize," L said slowly, "That nobody else thinks of Light that way?"

There was a hint of a smile around her lips. "But you do, don't you? You wouldn't be asking me these things otherwise." Her voice was now triumphant. "But, I don't think he's Kira. He doesn't seem the type."

"I see, Fujioka-san."

L leaned back on his chair, to observe the girl. Her file indicated nothing untoward about her. Once her parents were dead, she had moved to Osaka to stay with her aunt. Her grades were above-average, but that was all. The file hadn't mentioned that she was perceptive enough to see through Light like he did.

Then it happened. The mistake that was purely accidental, and yet, it could've been avoided if the events hadn't conspired against them.

He had a file waiting for her signature. A non-disclosure agreement, to be precise, that would ship her off to jail if she so much as whispered about what had happened in the hotel.

Matsuda leaned forward, evidently having forgotten that the mikes were still on. "Let her go, Ryuzaki. She doesn't know anything."

And Kohaku Fujioka made the mistake that would doom her.

"Ryuzaki?" Her voice was full of surprise. "The weirdo with a sugar craving who came to the tea-shop?"

"_You're L?"_

There was a loud _crash_, and Ryuzaki realized it was he who had dropped the cup sitting on the edge of his table. He turned around to face the Task-Force.

"Change of plans. Fujioka-san stays here. Watari, go untie her. I'll be there in a moment."

And then: "Matsuda. You idiot!"

**{X}**

It was him! The guy in the tea-shop, who had asked for the extra sugar-cubes. Kohaku's eyebrows rose, and then disappeared entirely when he shuffled in, looking more like the world's messiest college student than the world's greatest detective. He crouched upon standing, and his thumb, as usual, was in his mouth. In the light, his hair looked more blue than black, and he was barefoot. The same white monstrosity was keeping him decent, and a pair of ragged blue jeans.

"Fujioka-san," he said mildly, upon entering the room.

It was the most understated greeting of the decade.

"L?" She stuttered, still unable to believe herself.

Kohaku crossed her arms defensively when he shuffled forward, ending up inches from her. He was disconcerting, eyes dark and mysterious. "Yes, that would be me."

"You're telling me," she couldn't keep the incredulity from her tone, "That a 20 year old guy with gravity-defying hair is the world's greatest detective?!"

"I am not telling you anything, Fujioka-san. You came to that particular conclusion entirely on your own. Might I ask how?"

"You're the detective," she snapped, averting her eyes. "And it's Kohaku. Fujioka-san makes me sound old."

"Very well then, Ko-ha-ku." He spoke her name as if he was testing it, before letting it go. "And yes, I do have a few theories. The only time that name has been spoken in your vicinity was in the tea-shop, when I had arrived with Light. But, you weren't the person to serve us there."

"I was nearby," she muttered, cheeks scarlet. "And I overheard you saying: _call me Ryuzaki._ So I assumed that was your name." There was no way in hell she was dragging Mio into this nonsense.

"So you were eavesdropping." There was absolutely no emotion in his voice. "How much did you hear?"

"I wasn't eavesdropping! And if you must know, that was all I heard. I didn't want Light seeing me." The last part was added in a lowered tone, embarrassment coloring it pink.

"Why not?"

"Well, I – he…"

"Why don't you sit down, Kohaku?" He said lightly, after she had sputtered unbecomingly for a few seconds. "I'm sure you'll be able to word it better after."

She didn't sit. "I already told you! I didn't like him! So why would I want to run into him, of all people?"

"It sounds more like Kohaku was afraid of him." He sounded like he was talking to himself now.

"Are you trying to twist this on Light being Kira? Because, frankly, not only is that theory bullshit, but so is your understanding of everything!"

"Very well. I won't question you any further on this."

Kohaku didn't bother hiding her sigh of relief. Her feelings for Light were something she herself didn't like going into – and she'd be damned if she went into them for this detective's sake. Scarcely had her chest had the opportunity to feel lighter, when L opened his mouth again.

"Kohaku-san, I regret to inform you, you won't be leaving this room for quite some time."

The air rushed into her ears, and flew out. It felt like a hook digging into her chest, trying to claw it out. The air turned brittle, and then cracked, like the edges of an ice-cold metal. "What do you mean?" Her voice was calm, too calm.

"You know too much about this case. It was my intention to make you sign a few papers before sending you back home, but now that you know who I am, and more importantly, what I look like, I cannot afford to let you out of this hotel."

Was she hearing things? Because it sounded like…

"You'll have to stay with us until this investigation is over."

Her shriek of rage made L cover his ears, a placid expression on his face.

**{X}**

**A/N: Yep. Still on a roll. For all those who congratulated me on my enthusiasm... well.. *smiles nervously* I decided to not intern this holiday. So, you could say I have a LOT of time on my hands. Time enough to even write scenes and then delete them because not relevant to plot. In fact, Kohaku made a friend a friend in To-Oh. But because I don't like introducing too many OC characters... *shrugs* Mio only will do. And too because as you can see from above, her presence is important for plot.**

**Reviewers. *hugs and kisses***

**Once again. Love it? Hate it? Ditch it?**

**(I sadly have a pattern.)**

**Also, who all thought I'd actually make Kiyomi nice? LOL NO. NOT AFTER WHAT SHE DID WHEN LIGHT WON. I tried not to character-bash though. I hate doing that. Tell me if I failed, kay?**


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